In the Middle of a Bubble
by ho.wide.world
Summary: Iruka is taken to Water Country for a little rest and relaxation with his parents and meets a strange boy. [KisaIru]


**Summary:** Iruka is taken to Water Country for a little rest and relaxation with his parents and meets a strange boy.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own a thing.

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**In the Middle of a Bubble**

_"It's all in the timing."_

It was a crystal clear day in the vast land of Water Country, nothing but heat and the cool waves to splash your toes at one of the many beaches that littered across the land, and not to mention the gracious amount of T and A that stretched for miles. Children squealed and teenagers laughed as they splashed and swam in the water not paying attention to their surroundings.

_"Now." _

Suddenly the children stopped squealing and the teenagers stopped laughing as the mothers covered their mouths in shock and the fathers rushed to collect their young, all due to the dark grey fin that peaked from the surface of the water.

**"Shark!"** a person bellowed and as soon as the word was chanted the children were collected from the water and herded far away. In the muggy heat with the cool waves no longer hospitable to the beach dwellers, the mass of them packed up and left never thinking twice.

_"C'mon, _**_leave_**_, I can't hold... breathe any longer."_ someone, thought frantically as finally they sensed the departure of the last person and with a gurgle the figure rose from the depths of the sea, a black dorsal fin attached comically to their back.

With a hacking cough the prankster laughed and crowed at his ingenious plan. It was a bit of revenge since his parents ran off to finish _'important business'_. They were looking for some idiot who assassinated a big wig in Wave Country. "Well, Mum and Dad said to keep myself entertained." the boy reasoned as he wiped the water from his face, his thumb brushed against the scar against the bridge of his nose.

Umino Iruka grinned to himself thinking how wonderful his prank had worked out and his goal had been accomplished, he had not been caught... or so he thought. And with a few choice words murmured softly into his ear the grin on the eleven-year-old boy's face dropped and was replaced with one of complete shock.

_"Oh, think you're pretty clever don't you?"_ a voice laughed as the boy spun around in the water looking left and right, up and down. He saw no one but the prickle in his skin told him that someone or _something_ saw him.

Iruka had no weapons currently with him, just the article of clothing on his rump, the plastic dorsal fin on his back and his frayed hair tie slipped around his narrow wrist. The young boy gulped as he quickly began swimming back to shore.

_"Watch out, Shark!"_ the voice laughed as the brunette felt a grip clamp onto his ankles and was tugged down into the murky depths. Iruka garbled his scream as he waited for the onslaught of blood and torn flesh but found nothing and with a scoff of bubbles he broke surface.

Umino Iruka, one of the best pranksters in Konoha, in all of Fire Country (maybe) had been duped, tricked, kicked from his throne. The dusky skinned boy sniffed and coughed as he took in some salt water, which only caused the other fellow to laugh louder.

He was odd looking, Iruka concluded, the most noticeable feature on the stranger's tall frame was the colour of his skin. Iruka looked at his own brown skin and then at the other's unique flesh, grey or a dark shade of blue. On each cheek were three coal black slits, they resembled the gills of a fish. Iruka frowned as he noticed the boy had the exact same dorsal fin as him strapped to his back.

_"That bum stole my idea."_ the Umino boy grumped and quickly stiffened as the grey skinned individual got himself under control and stopped his chortling. The stranger opened his eyes and directed his gaze at the younger boy, a toothy smirk snaked upon his lips at the boy's little gasp.

"You really _are_ a shark." The brunette breathed as he saw the older boy's beady looking eyes, hungry and pale... like a shark. Iruka back-pedalled the boy's body language, hell everything about him screamed shark! Predator!

"And you really _are_ a runty brat." the older boy growled as he reached out and grabbed Iruka's arm pulling him back. "You can't leave yet kid you have something I want." the stranger huffed as the boy continued to kick and struggle and he slowly slid his hands to the waistband of his shorts.

The brunette's eyes widened as his body shook into a frenzy and he kicked and punched the stranger and was miffed when each blow was carefully countered. "No! Stop it!" Iruka yelled and quickly quieted down as he saw a light blue swimming trunk floating further and further on the waves. The Umino brat sniffled and looked down and noticed that the stranger was indeed naked.

"... So you just wanted my shorts."

:p:

"You still could have said something. I thought you were gon-- gonna..." Iruka trailed off and ceased his rant as he heard the older boy snort and pulled on the extra shorts Iruka had thrown to him, he never noticed the quirky smile on the brunette's face. The two youngsters were hiding out near a wreath of large rocks on the beachside, it seems the local authorities had been called out about the shark sighting and the beach dwellers were tromping back.

"And you could have just given me the shorts, brat, and don't flatter yourself why would I wanna be with a nine year old runt like you." the older boy scoffed and patted the boy like a dog on the head.

"I'm not nine, I'm eleven! And a half!" Iruka shouted as he brushed away the heavy hand that was clamped on his head. "And what are you," Iruka took in the boy he looked at least fourteen or fifteen, "Twelve." Iruka lashed out and quickly winced. He had never been good with quick and witty comebacks when he needed them.

"I'm fourteen you little idiot." The teenager laughed as Iruka rolled his eyes at the insult and went quiet. "You got a name, ninja-kid?" the older boy asked as Iruka's eyes widened in surprise.

_'How did he?'_ Iruka thought frantically; his parents had warned him not to tell anyone that he or his parents were ninjas, a tough job for a big mouth like him and he must never reveal the location of Konoha. "I'm not a ninja." the brunette grunted as he stared directly into the stranger's eyes.

"If you say so brat, but next time when declaring you're not a ninja, defending yourself with chakra amplified attacks is a no-no, even if it was a _pathetically_ small amount." the grey skinned individual poked. Iruka continued to plaster on a poker face, his lips twitching at the stranger's jibe. The older boy shrugged, "So what's your name?"

Before the younger boy could reply he found himself in want of some form of control in this little introduction. "How about you tell me your name first." Iruka suggested as the other boy sniffed in annoyance but nodded none the less.

"Hoshigaki Kisame." the boy muttered as he plopped himself on the cold wet sand. He didn't see the harm of telling the boy his name, he was going to kill him soon, and he didn't need anyone recognising him just because of some kid's loose lips. With a snort Kisame began to snoop around Iruka's pack looking for food.

Iruka stiffened and tried to wrestle a case of three dango sticks he had been saving for later away from the teenager but the attempt proved unsuccessful as Kisame kept him at him bay with his foot. "U... Umino Iruka." the young boy grunted as the older of the two ninja sat on the Umino child and began to munch away.

"Iruka, _huh_, suits you with that scar on your nose, looks like--"

"It looks like the beak of a dolphin, yes, yes, I know, I also know the coincidence of my last name being Umino while my first name is Iruka." the brunette explained with a huff and tried to wriggle his way out from under the teenager.

"_Hmm_, a dolphin would make a mighty fine treat for a shark." Kisame growled appreciatively as he spread his weight evenly over the younger boy, enjoying the little gasp of helplessness. "Good thing for you I'm not hungry anymore, _I-ru-ka_." the grey skinned youth laughed and polished of the rest of the dangoes and sluggishly let the struggling boy up.

"After you gobbled down all my dangoes I'm not surprised." Iruka snarled and crossed his arms. Kisame merely clicked his tongue to hide his chuckles and Iruka glared at the older boy.

"Oh come now, I was hungry, I've been all alone and on the move for days." Kisame defended with a mock wail, the sunshine glinting off his sharp teeth and he could see the same glint of curiosity in the younger boy's eyes.

"For days an-- and by yourself? Why?" the brunette asked, his curiosity indeed piqued as Kisame backed up further from the noise of people and into the shadows, and like a timid mouse the boy followed him.

"Secret ninja stuff, of course, you wouldn't know a thing like that ninj-- uh, civilian brat." the shark faced youth said a bit cockily as he enjoyed the feeling of toying with his little prey and wondered how long he had till he got rid of him.

"Of... of course not." the scared nose boy grumped and with a sniff began to gather his things. Kisame frowned; the boy couldn't leave. Hoshigaki bit his tongue enjoying the coppery taste of blood as he found himself hesitating. He should have grabbed the brat by his scrawny neck and give it a good snap! But he hesitated. Kisame concluded that he was bored and the kid was a form of entertainment, annoying but still entertainment. Iruka was like an insect he could crush whenever he wanted but kept for amusement.

"Although your endurance for holding your breathe underwater needs a bit of work, that was a nice trick you pulled out there, did I tell you. You managed it quite nicely even got there before I could do the deed and take the credit. Great minds think alike, _ne_." Kisame complimented and did his best not to add brat to the end of his spiel making sure to stroke the boy's ego.

The Umino child stiffened his back to the shark boy and whirled around a grin stretched across his face. "It was a good trick wasn't it. The lot of em' cleared out in no time and the screams." the boy crowed with a laugh as he hopped beside Kisame, anger forgotten... at least for the moment.

Kisame grinned and clicked his sharp teeth together. "Something tells me this is not your first time deceiving people." the teenager laughed.

Iruka nodded his head, "_Hehehe_, I _am_ the best where I'm from."

"And where are you from, you big headed brat?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?"

:p:

Hoshigaki Kisame decided that Umino Iruka was an interesting kid. He was loud, short tempered, a wise ass and a complete brat, but what a brat he was and a cheeky one. He never did let up where he was from but he told him that he made sure the people never got tired of his tricks in his village.

The kid was a bit of a black sheep and was damn proud of it and seemed hell bent to show people what a black sheep could do.

Umino Iruka would not be slain by his hands, at least not now. _'Consider yourself lucky brat.'_ Kisame thought as Iruka was once again telling him a story, his mouth chattering a mile a minute. _'I think I'll keep him.'_ the teenager pondered stupidly as he reached out his hand towards the boy's shoulder.

**"Umino Iruka!"**

Iruka jumped and looked down the beach, his spine tingling. "Oh, no." the boy panicked as he swallowed a gulp. "It seems like Mum and Dad, have found out what I've been up to... hey I gotta go, but I'll see you again, lets meet again. Bye Bye."

And without another word the boy was tripping over his feet to find his parents. According to one of his stories it seems like he preferred to get his punishment early instead of hiding in a corner from his mother.

Kisame shrugged, not bothering to go after the boy. _'What was I thinking keeping him... don't need anymore trouble, his parents might even have hounded after us.'_ The teenager contemplated as he stood up and began to walk down the opposite side of the beach keeping to himself and ignoring the looks he was getting.

He was used to people staring at him; his skin was definitely something to gawk at. But something seemed off the wide eyes of young girls, the smirks from the men and the giggling of women. Kisame looked down and balked.

His shorts were gone and its place a patch of seaweed slid to his feet. All the time he didn't notice the kid transformed the shorts from seaweed.

**"YO-- YOU BRAT!"**

:p:

Umino Iruka didn't have the time to pay attention to the frantic and hysterical yelling that issued from further down the beach as his mother screamed at him while his father calmly talked to a very peeved looking lifeguard and other local authorities.

:p:

They were heading back to Konoha. His parents were unable to locate the person they were searching for. He was forbidden from leaving his room after his beach prank and because of the unknown and unsettling chakra signature that had gotten on him; both of his parents had been very disturbed. Iruka kept his mouth shut and didn't mention Kisame; a bit of punishment for his parents for keeping him locked up. The brunette bounced on the bed in his motel room and looked out at the bustling village. He was never able to meet up with Kisame again.

Iruka sighed and sprawled out on the bed, his eyes closing as he decided to take a nap but jumped as he felt something wet land on his head with a _splat!_ The eleven-year-old frowned as he pulled the wet and smelly seaweed from his head.

He turned towards the window where the attack was issued but saw no one but he did see an object. It was a fishbowl with a small piece of paper taped to it. The scared nose boy hopped up and walked closer to the bowl; something was swimming in it. It was a little shark; its body was smooth and sleek as it weaved its form into a small plastic castle.

Iruka bent his head forward and read the piece of a paper attached to the bowl. _'A present from me to you, brat, a treat for that stunt you pulled and if I ever see you again, YOU'RE GONNA GET IT!'_

Iruka smiled as he lightly tapped the fishbowl jarring the shark, and thought of a good way to convince his parents into keeping it.

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**Author's Rant:** This little pretty was only self-checked so I hope you can excuse some of the grammatical and spelling errors, but my muse commanded me to post this story right away, even without the help of a beta. I dunno know why but I just felt like I needed to. I may do another KisaIru (… hey they got their own pet name) if my muse gets the feeling but I'm still in the mood to write some Naruiru. Thanks for reading my story and rant. 


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